By Staff Writer
The Prime Minister, Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi, raised several eyebrows when he walked onto the podium at the Sheraton Hotel at Vaisigano on Friday evening with shaded glasses.
Wearing glasses is not a common trait for the Prime Minister.
Tuilaepa later quipped it was the new COVID-19 fashion look. The real story is of the hours spent in the sun and the dust taking its toll on his eyes after a marathon run of access road openings on Friday.
It was the end of swing of villages along the length of Upolu running from east to west, to officially open new roads that will make it easier for villagers to reach plantations further inland.
The PM led an earlier run started in Savaii before continuing to Upolu during the week.
His road opening delegation included Cabinet Ministers, heads of Ministries and other senior Government officials,
“We are a Cabinet that works like untitled men (taulele’a), we don’t keep to any personal high status and as in the scriptures if you want to be in front follow if you want to lead serve,” the PM said in one of his addresses.
“We follow the scriptures as our lead in Government.”
Better access roads is a standard appeal from almost all rural villages and it is one of the main priorities for Government to encourage the farming of unused land.
Tuilaepa added to the push for villages to fall back on the resources of the land as the answer to the economic setbacks in Samoa from the damaging effects of the coronavirus pandemic.
“This pandemic has reminded us the gift of land we are blessed with so we can depend on it as families for our daily care.
“ Whatever promises or offers made for a better life, our mainstay in times of crisis is from farming our land.”
A newer benefit added to the value of access roads is for emergency escape routes to higher grounds for safety in times of disasters like rising sea levels, flooding or tsunamis.
The PM left an important reminder to the villages that Government has done its job by building the roads.
“ The work of Government is to make it easier for villages to access the land and that is now achieved, it is now up to you to work the land and benefit from it.”
Benefits from the development of plantations, livestock and other land produce was pounded home as a must to raise the standard of the village economy.
